Day 1

Arrival Shanghai
Arrive in Shanghai, Paris of the Oriental, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Free at leisure for the rest of the day.
Meals: No meals
Accommodation: In Shanghai

Shanghai is a city unlike any other in China. It is the bustling economic heartbeat of China that enjoys all of the comforts and amenities of a fully modern metropolis. Shanghai today looks to regain its former position at the turn of 20th of being one of the largest financial centers in the world behind New York and London. It is a city that seamlessly blends East and West.
 

Day 2

Shanghai
Today, enjoy your full day city tour covering the Jade Buddha Temple. Then move to Yuyuan Garden, a Chinese classic garden in city downtown, and the nearby old street. Afterwards, take a short visit up to Oriental Pearl TV Tower and you can then have a leisure stroll along the Bund, Shanghai’s famed waterfront promenade. Tonight if you are interested, you can enjoy the Acrobatics show has an optional activity.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Shanghai
 
Today you'll find a Buddhism shrine - Jade Buddha Temple, which is located in a crowd of Shanghai City. It was first built in 1882 in Jiangwan on the southern outskirts of Shanghai. In order to make it convenient for the adherents to visit, it was bodily moved to Shanghai City at the present sire in 1918. It is named for its two bejeweled white jade Buddha. It receives thousands of visitors and worshipers everyday while keeps its sanctity and charming. Carved from a whole piece of white jade, the sitting jade Buddha statue is translucent with a solemn expression, displaying the excellent skill and extraordinary art of Chinese people.

Yuyuan Garden has a lot of stories for it was severely damaged in the 19th century and was restored in 1961. This garden was first built in the 16th century by provincial governor, Pan Yunduan, in honor of his father who was the then government minister. It has many scenic courtyards decorated with baroque rockery, pools, and flora that are all connected by corridors and passageways. The delicate design and exquisite layout of the whole garden reveals a strong impression of 'garden in the garden, whole in the part.

Completed in 1995 to a highly innovative design, Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower includes 15 spheres of different sizes at different levels creating an artistic conception of "large and small pearls dropping onto a jade plate" in ancient Chinese poem.  It has become a symbol of excellence in architecture and is a favourite sight for tourists in Shanghai. Viewed from the Bund at night, the tower's three-dimensional lighting creates an enchanting, brilliantly coloured display. At 468 meters, it is the third tallest TV and radio tower in the World. Two of the six tower elevators can reach the highest sphere in 40 seconds; here the visitor will discover shops, a rotating restaurant and a sightseeing floor. The view of Shanghai from here is breath-taking. 

Then it comes to the Bund, the showcase with the old buildings of colonial-era leftover along Huangpu River. The renowned waterfront district is the city's most famous landmark. The word BUND is of Anglo-India origin meaning embankment on the waterfront. It is also the popular site to enjoy the night view of the city.

Shanghai offers colorful recreations with rich contents and creative form. Your night may be filled with an interactive old form of art known as the Acrobatics. Those professional performers have been trained of as early as age six or seven so that they can play so well and excellent. It definitely will be an unforgettable night in your memory.
 

Day 3

Shanghai    Mt. Huangshan 
Before heading to Huangshan, you can take a short visit to the French Concession, to enjoy a peaceful morning time. Then be transferred to the airport in the early afternoon for the flight to Huangshan and check in at the hotel in the city. 
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Huangshan city

Shanghai French Concession, also known as French town, is a famous place for its historical factors. During the period from 1849 to 1946, it is a foreign concession in Shanghai. Due to its location covers the districts of Lukawei and Xujiahui, the main police depot and prison of the French concession is in Lukawei area, while Xujiahui is the centre of Catholic Shanghai. So Shanghai French Concession is also the centre of Catholicism in Shanghai.

Besides its historical and religious factors, Shanghai French Concession is also a fantastic place for spending leisure time. You can spend hours wandering the narrow alleyways, dining and one of the million cafes or restaurants, or browsing through the endless art galleries and photographic studios. And a tourist who had been to there said, what's nice about this area is that there are big name stores mixed with small boutiques on the main shopping street.

After one hour's flight, the plane will land at Huangshan City, which located at the south of Anhui Province and famous for the Mt. Huangshan and the scattered serene villages. Tomorrow we'll find out more. 
 

Day 4

Huangshan City    Mt. Huangshan
In the morning, you will be transferred to well-known Mt. Huangshan scenic area and climb up the mountain by cable car to have your exploration. Lunch and dinner will be served at the restaurant on mountain. Stay overnight at the top of the mountain.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: On Mt. Huangshan

Mt. Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) is one of China's ten best-known scenic spots. It is characterized by the four wonders, namely, odd-shaped pines, grotesque rock formation, seas of clouds and crystal-clear hot springs. Having all the features of mountain scenery, Mt. Huangshan is known as the No. 1 Mountain under the Heaven. Because of the mists and clouds, natural scenery in the area changes beyond prediction. Xu Xiake, a noted Chinese geologist and traveler in Ming Dynasty, praised Mt. Huangshan as the best of all mountains. 

Because of the limited water and food resources, the price climbs high on mountain. Please be careful while sight-seeing and environmental-friendly to the beautiful scenery. Take a good rest for tomorrow's soul-stunning sunrise.
 

Day 5

Mt. Huangshan    Huangshan City
If you are interested, just get up early, you may have the chance to enjoy the fantastic sunrise amidst a sea of clouds in the summits. Then, you will be driven back to the city and visit Tunxi Old Street which is regarded as a span of the old-time memory of the area.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Huangshan city

Tunxi Old Street, located at the center of Tunxi District of Huangshan City, has been the distribution center of south Anhui Province knowing for the production of green tea and ink. It is the witness of the flourish of Anhui merchant's for a period of time. The street is 1.5 kilometers long and 7 meters wide with double-floor wooden houses built during the Ming and Qing dynasties at two sides. So far, over 100 movies have been shot in the old street. Here you can buy featured souvenirs such as traditional Chinese medicine, Qimen Black Tea, Anhui ink stick, Shexian ink stone and Anhui Four Carvings.
 

Day 6

Huangshan City    Hangzhou
Depart from Huangshan City, take a 1 hour driving you will reach the ancient Yixian County and take a visit to Xidi Village and Hongcun Village. After the tour, you will take about 3.5 hours driving to Hangzhou
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Hangzhou

Xidi Village is known for its unique and elegant wooden houses with prettified walls preventing rain infiltration, black tiles recording the history of the town, and decorative gate towers standing for the particular flavor of the architecture. The exquisite wood carvings, stone engravings and tile carvings are also can be found in Xidi. Walking into an ancient house, you will find yourself in a well-arranged garden with rockeries, fish ponds, stream and cobble-paved ground.

Hongcun Village, with a history over 400 years, has a cattle-like plan, a stream passes by every door in the village like cattle's gut, a semi-lunar pond looks like cattle's stomach, and the four bridges over the stream from the cattle's feet. With marbled ground, black tiles, fresh red lanterns, elaborate woodcarvings and amazingly comprehensive water system, Hongcun Village is known as ‘the folk imperial palaces'.

Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, is located by the Qiantang River at the Southern end of the Grand Canal. As one of the most renowned and prosperous cities of China for much of the last 1,000 years, Hangzhou is also well-known for its beautiful natural scenery, with the West Lake as the most well-known location. The Venetian Marco Polo supposedly visited Hangzhou in the late 13th century. His book refers to the city as "beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world."
 

Day 7

Hangzhou
Today, enjoy your one day city tour that start with a visit to the West Lake, then, go for a short visit to Lingyin Temple, which is regarded as one of the four temples by the side of the West Lake. Afterwards, you will go to the Pagoda of Six Harmonies and Tea Museum for a short yuvisit. Huaiyang Cuisine is available for your optional dinner (at your own expense).
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hangzhou

"Rippling waters shimmering on a sunny day,
Misty mountains shrouded by the rain;
Plain or gaily decked out like Xizi;
West Lake is always alluring.”
 
These sentiments by the famous poet Su Dongpo, comparing West Lake with Xizi, the most renowned beauty of the Song Dynasty, leave one in no doubt of the splendor of the scenery that inspired them. Enclosed by the hills on three sides, the West Lake mirrors the surrounding landscape to form a panorama of great beauty. The lake was originally part of the Qitang River until its outlet became silted up. It is now 15km in circumference with an average depth of 1.8 meters.

The Lingyin Temple is regarded as one of the four temples by the side of the West Lake.  The main hall, 33.6 meters high, is one of China's tallest single-story buildings, further distinguished by double eaves. Within, a statue of Sakyamuni, carved out of 24 pieces of camphor wood and gilded with 104 ounces of gold, stands an impressive 19.6 meters high.

Standing by the Qiantang River in Hangzhou, the Pagoda of Six Harmonies (Liuhe Tower) has for hundreds of years been praised by poets and men of letters. The pagoda was constructed first in 970 during the Northern Song Dynasty to suppress the tidewaters. It is nearly 60 meters tall with 13 stories outside and seven inside. From here you can have a good view of the Qiantang River meandering far into the distance

While you are enjoying the beautiful sightseeing of Hangzhou, you can also try the well-known Huaiyang Cuisine which is the style prevailing in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo and Suzhou. The basin of the lower reaches of the Yangtze and the coast are blessed with the products of rivers, lakes and the sea; everything for seekers of fine food. Huaiyang dishes are characterized by the addition of a relatively high proportion of soy sauce.
 

Day 8

Hangzhou    Wuzhen Water Town
Just 1 hour driving, you will reach Wuzhen, this peaceful water town, which surrounded by rivers that has a special beauty that has not yet been overrun by tourists.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Wuzhen

Even on a cold, rainy spring day, Wuzhen, a town surrounded by rivers, about 80 minutes south of Shanghai, has a special beauty which has not yet been overrun by tourists. Its recent restoration gives it a pristine appearance missing in other traditional water towns such as Zhouzhuang.

Like many towns located south of the Yangtze River, Wuzhen is built along rivers, in this case the East Town River and Town River. They run through the town and main scenic spots all gather along rivers, which run 1.3 km from east to west. Visitors walked through the long pavilion and in front of shops, as the cries of vendors rise and fall on the ear. The air is full of the smells of fresh vegetables, walnuts, fish and shrimp. The signboards of coppersmiths and grain shops still swing in the wind, reminding tourists of their history, but the doors are tightly closed.
 

Day 9

Wuzhen Water Town    SuzhouContinue your relaxing time there then, in the afternoon, take 2.5 hours driving to your next destination – Suzhou, another city been called "the paradise on earth".
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Suzhou

Founded in 514 BC, Suzhou is one of the oldest towns in the Yangtze Basin. And Suzhou remains one of the most beautiful cities in China with its blue web of interlocking canals and classical gardens that inspired the Chinese to name it “paradise on earth” and Marco Polo to call the city the “Venice of the East” during his visit.

 

Day 10

Suzhou
Suzhou is an ancient town interlaced by canals and has been aptly nicknamed the Venice of the East. Your sightseeing tour of Suzhou will cover the Humble Administrator's Garden and New Suzhou Museum, the last masterpiece designed by I.M. Pei. Then continue to Silk Factory to find out how silk is being made. After the tour, be transferred back to your hotel. 
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Suzhou

Humble Administrator’s Garden (Zhuozheng yuan) is the best representation of Chinese classical gardens of the Ming Dynasty. Its design is duplicated in many gardens throughout China, and there‘s even a replica in the New York Metropolitan Museum. In total, the garden contains 48 different buildings with 101 tablets, 40 stelae, 21 precious old trees, and over 700 Suzhou-style penza. In 1997, Zhuozheng Yuan, along with other classical gardens of Suzhou was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Suzhou Museum is a museum of more than 15,000 pieces of collections. Most are ancient paintings and calligraphy, ceramics, crafts, unearthed relics and revolution relics. New Suzhou Museum is the last design of Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei in his career. It is not only a public construction symbol in Suzhou, but also an innovative mark bridging Chinese architectural culture from the tradition to the future.

Silk has a history of some 4,500 years in China, so they have become adept at producing many different types of silk, as well as dyeing it and weaving different patterns into the fabric. Suzhou is famous for its silk production. In the Silk Factory you can see a display of the life-cycle of the silk worm and demonstrations of how the silk is harvested from the cocoons and eventually woven into fabric. It is quite astonishing to learn that one cocoon can produce about 2 km of silk strand, and that several of these strands are twined together to make a single thread. The process is so slow and painstaking; it comes as no surprise that genuine hand-made silk articles are so expensive.
 

Day 11

Suzhou    Tongli Water Town    ShanghaiAfter one hour driving, you will reach Tongli, another small water town. Enjoy your half day relaxing visit in Tongli and touch its profound culture and representative vista of water town in Southern China. In the afternoon, be transferred back to Suzhou and took your express train to Shanghai.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: In Shanghai
 

Originally named Fushi, Tongli is an old but very well preserved water township with a history of more than 1,000 years. Built in the Ming and Qing dynasties, it encloses 5 lakes and 15 canals dividing the town into 7 islands which are connected by 20 ancient bridges of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Tongli is famous for its one garden, two halls and three bridges. One garden refers to Tuisi Garden. Two halls are Chongben Hall and Jiayin Hall. Three bridges are Taiping Bridge (“Safety” in English), Jili Bridge (“Good luck” in English) and Changqing Bridge (“Longevity” in English). Local tradition calls for those celebrating a Wedding or Birthday to pass over all three bridges. 
 

Day 12

Shanghai
Free at leisure until to be transferred to the airport for your next destination.
Meals: Breakfast

Service Ends